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Usher, Run D.M.C., Mark Wahlberg sued over samples

LAWSUIT: Usher is among the artists being sued for allegedly using a sample without permission. Photo: Associated Press

Usher, Mark Wahlberg and the existing members of rap trio RUN-D.M.C. are facing a copyright infringement lawsuit for allegedly using samples from a 1960s R&B hit without permission.

Bosses at Twilight Records and Syl-Zel Music claim the performers and several other musicians have illegally used segments from Syl Johnson’s 1967 tune “Different Strokes”, and they’ve filed a lawsuit in a U.S. District Court in Illinois.

The suit also names several record labels including Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group.

The complaint seeks accounting, along with a permanent restraint against sampling the song, and unspecified damages.

This isn’t the first time Johnson has sued for copyright infringement – in 2011, he filed a lawsuit against Kanye West and Jay Z, for improperly sampling the song on their album, “Watch the Throne.” That suit was later settled.